Crate



CRATE. 1 APPLICATION HLED JULY 3.1920.

Patented May 30; 1922.

2 'SHEETs-sHEET 1.

um T DHF. T 0A R G0 APPLICATION FILED JULY 3,1920.

Patented May'SO, 1922. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES I, HENRY G. ORTH, or FULTON, NEW'YORK. f

CRATE.

" I v Application filed July 3,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known thatl, :I-IENRY- G. ORTH, a

- citizen of the United States of America, and

' embodies improved features of construction the crate is rendered I highly advantageous from the standpoint resident of Fulton,

following explanations of the within the spirit and An object of the invention is to provide a;

that will economical in manufacture, and that can invention consists. in 1n constructionandin combinatlons and arcounty of Oswego, State of New York, have invented certain .new

and useful Improvements in'and Relating to Crates of which the following is a specification. I

This invention relates to certainimprovements in crates; and the" objects and nature of the invention will be readily understood by those skilled in the art in the light of the drawings illustrating what I now believe to be the preferred embodiment-or mechanical expression of my invention from among other forms, constructions and arrangements scope thereof.

crate for packing and shipping purposes be exceedingly light in weight, and

be knocked 'down when empty and folded into=an exceedingly small space and can be readily set up for use, and that embodies means for retaining the bottom and top walls -in place without fastening devices. A further object ofthe invention is to 'p'rovide-a'knock down cratecomposed of soi called fiber board or other thatispeculiarly adapted for packing and.

theuse of nails and like paper material, transporting vegetables and fruits, and that and formation, whereby of the user.

With these and other objects in view my certain novel features rangementsas more fully and particularly condition with the bottom secured, the

set forth and specified hereinafter.

'- Referring 'to the accompanying draw- 1ngs:-'

"Fig. 1 is a bodying my invention and shown inset up and confined to place .by the swingable bails.

Fig. 2'is a perspective viewshowingthe crate set up with top being removedand the top bails in inoperative position at the crate ends. p '1 Fig.3, is a perspective. viewshowingthe crate in collapsed or knocked down condi Specification of Letters Patent.

accompanying perspective view of a crateemr and top app-lied the bottom-inplace and- Patented 'May so, 1922.

1920. Serial No.. 39e,912.

1g...5 is

Fig. 6 isa perspective of a crate of m0dified construction. i

In the embodiments .illustrated -the crate consists of upright or surrounding sidev and a cross section of thecrateof end walls constitutingthe'crate shell or body F ig. 4 a section on the line t cfFig. l. I

and. strengthfto meetjtheconditions of use in the field and duringtransportation. I usually employ so-called fiberor pulp board .of thethickness or made, up of one or more plies to givethe necessary(strength. This paper material is preferably treated to render the same waterproof. accomplished by chemicals, any other suitable method as .will be understoodby those iskilledin the artl scored to permit bending at p the corner. portions ofsaidrshell arepreferablyv reinforced. by .fabri pasteOl or otherwise securedthereton As before" stated, the papenmaterial is scored or otherwise formed .to readily. bend at thelines 1 where; the sideland'end forming-portions v I set-up crate shell. so that thefshell= can be collapsed or folded down to flatform and as readily unfolded or'expanded .to set up, position. The shell knocks downfor folds to elongatedflat form with oneside and end wall portions approximately restingion and parallelwith, the other side portions. I 1 v In the embodiment.illustrated by p v the bottom2. and top 3 v are similar and'interchangeable; and ,eachis composed of ,a;flat waterproofed sheet of heavy" comparatively stifl' strong paper'material, such -.as fiber board orthe like. Each such sheet is notched at the corners,.see-.2 or 3 to provide ,edge flanges 2", or 3" .body ofthe sheet 3 on which the flanges slip into the crate shell: or. body,

The rectangular approximately the .same length andwiolth as the interior of the crateshell so'as to close can befbent: up .to

as shown.

the same with the flanges of the body snugly and end wall joined to the rectangular alongbending lines2 or I bodyfof each'shfeet is of" This-.can be parafiine,,or by.

V This crate shell or ,body is creased or I the corners, and

' strong paper ric or other fitting the inner faces of the shell side and end walls. The top and bottom sheets can be supplied to the user packed in bundles with their corners notched and their flanges bent down or flattened out. \Vhen the crate arts are assembled, the edge flanges canbe easily bent up to proper position to permit insertion of the closure (top and bottom) in the crate shells.

The crate shell is provided with means such as swingable bails 4c, 5, to pass over the exteriors of the closures (top and bottom) and hold them in place against the contents of the crate and from outward movement from the crate shell, and also to serve the purpose ofexterior straps reinforcing and bracing the entire crate structure.

In the example illustrated, each bail consists of an elongated flat strip or ribbon of (preferably) waterproofed thick or heavy material, such as fiber board or the like, usually suitably reinforced by fabsuitable means at the corners. The paper material is preferably scored or otherwise formed to provide bending lines at the corners 4 or 5*, so that the bails can bend without breaking when the crate, shell is collapsed and set up. The ends of each bailare plvotally secured to the side walls of the crate shell, at alined points (when the crate is set up) b any suitable means, although in the example illustrated, I show metal eyelets 6 for this purpose. However, I do not wish invention.

Each bail is formed with a flat body of substantial width and of slightly greater length than the width of the crate and its closures (top and bottom) to extend across and bear against the outer side face of a closure, with two similar flat laterally extending ends usually of the same width as bails will be subjected when the loaded crates enlarged end portions 10 the fingers of op loaded crates,there the body and extending onto the outer faces of the crate shell side walls and securely and permanently coupled thereto so as to withstand the strains and stresses to which said are handled.

The two bails for the crate bottom are arranged adjacent to the opposite ends of the crate shell, and each is pivoted approximately near a lower corner of the crate and its lateral ends are of such length that the lbail can swingto'and can rest in inoperative position embracing the adjacent crate shell end and approximately parallel with the crate shell, .or can swing around to operative position transversely passing across the bottom closure at the exof the crate and terior thereof.

This operation is true of all the bails. The two similar bails for the crate topclosure are also arranged near the crate ends 7 and are pivoted thereto near the upper corners of the crate shell." These bails are so to so limit all features of my their closure securing operative flanges are slightly 1 described to positions approximately parallel.

with adjacent portions of the shell, as shown, When the shell is expanded to set up position, the bails will be thereby restored to their arched or U shape form embracing the ends of the shell.

When the crate is to receive its contents, in the field or elsewhere, the bottom closure is inserted in the open bottom of the shell and the. two lower strap b'ailsare swung down to operative position extending around under said bottom.

When the crate is closing, the top closure is inserte the open top of the shell and onto the load within the crate, and then the two upper strap bails are swung upwardly from the crate ends to upright vertical position extending over and across said top.

The crate shell, top and and the strap bails are sufiiciently' flexible to permit more or less bulging or bending to somewhat conform to the load and so that the bails will bend to conform to the bulging of the top and bottom closures, and maintain Lpositions against accidental displacement. However, I do not wish to so limit all features of my invention.

The crate bottom closures, ventilating slots or openings therein by cuts or slots.

In the example shown,

filled and ready for shell, and usually the top and 10, formed these slots 10 have for the entrance of erators in handling the y aifording finger holds performing the functions of handles.

If so desired, the top can be formed to fit the exterior of the crate shell instead of slipping down within the same.

Such exterior end closures 3O are similar and formed with flanges 31 permanently secured at the corners by fabric, metal or other suitable corner reinforcing and securing means 32, preferably so that the closure inclined or flaring. These closures with fixed flanges can nested when packed into ment. v

The flanges of these closures are arbottom closures, I

and bottom closures d through i are provided with suitable bundles for ship- 1 balls each at its ends I these flanges are ranged at the exterior of the crate shell when the closures are in place on the shell, and

the strap balls are swung to operative positions across the exteriors of the closures, as hereinbefore described. The bails will usually draw the closures into shape conforming to the crate shell and the bails and to permit bulging to conform to the load.

I do notvwish to limit all features of my invention to the bails formed ofthe strips of paper material, nor to bails permanently hinged or pivoted to the shell, and'it is evident that various changes, modifications, and variations might be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention as defined by the claims.

l/Vhat I claim is 1. A crate comprising a shell or body open at thetop and bottom and creased to collapse with side and end wall portions lying approximately on and parallel with the opposing side and end wall portions, top and bottom closures for said tached to and adapted body and to extend across the outer surfaces of said closures and confine the closures to the shell and brace and complete the crate."

2. A crate comprising a collapsible flexible shell, swingable top and bottom securing attached to the shell, said bails formed flexible to collapse with somewhat flexible to bend, a if need be, to permit passage of bails when shell, and bails at to collapse with the,

the shell,-a bottom for said shell, and a top vfor said shell;

3. A crate composed of a collapsible shell,

a bottom therefor, a top therefor, bottom securing arched bails at their ends pivotally fastened to the shell, and top-securing arched bails at their ends pivotally fastened to the shell, said top and bottom securing bails'in operative position extending across the top and bottom, respectively,to confine the closures to the shell and complete and bracethe crate, and when removed'to inoperative posi 'tionv permitting removal of the top andfbottom, respectively, and collapse of said shell.

4 .A crate composed'of a collapsible shell,

a bottom therefor composed ofia sheet having edge fianges'adapted'to be bent up to slip within the shell, a similartop for said shell, and bailsto confine said topand said bottom in the shell,said bails in operative position extending across and confining" the top and bottom, respectively, within the shell to. complete the crate, and said shell.

maintained in crate forming position against collapse by said bails, the top and 'the'boti tom, respectively.

crate com swingable flexible top and lapsible with the shell, and a separate top and aseparatebottom for-said shell.

prising a collapsible'.shell,- bottom confinng balls permanently pivoted to and'col- I HENRY e. ,oRrH. a 

